Journey Under the Midnight Sun

by Keigo Higashino

  ‘I’m not sure how watching amateurs practise is going to help.’

  The country was in the middle of a golfing boom, and it was Saturday, which meant that the place was packed. You could tell just by looking at the car park, which was almost completely full.

  It took some time to find a spot, but he did. The two got out and headed for the entrance. On the way in was a phone booth. Yukiho stopped in front of it.

  ‘If you don’t mind, can I make a phone call?’ she said, pulling her schedule book out of her bag.

  ‘Fine; I’ll go take a look inside.’

  ‘Great,’ she said, the receiver already in her hand.

  The entrance was as brightly lit as a twenty-four-hour diner and two young women in bright uniforms were greeting customers. A handful of people were killing time on the grey carpet of the lobby.

  ‘Thanks; just write your name here. We’ll call you as soon as there’s an opening,’ one of the employees said. She was talking to a slightly overweight man who didn’t look as if he’d had much to do with sports in his life. He had a black golf bag next to him.

  ‘Is it that busy?’ the man asked, a scowl on his face.

  ‘Yes, I’m afraid there’s a wait of about twenty or thirty minutes.’

  ‘Great,’ the man said, grumbling as he wrote his name on the list.

  Makoto walked up to the counter and mentioned he’d like to be in the information session. One of the employees told him with a smile that there would be an announcement and to please wait in the lobby.

  Yukiho stepped through the doors and quickly walked up to Makoto.

  ‘We have a little bit of a problem,’ she said. ‘At the shop. I think I should go.’ She bit her lip.

  On Saturday Naomi and a part-time worker ran things.

  ‘Right now?’ Makoto asked. His exasperation was plain in his voice.

  Yukiho nodded.

  ‘So what about golf school? You’re not even going to stay for the information session?’

  ‘No, I’m sorry, but you can stay. I’ll take a taxi and if it’s too boring, you can go home.’

  ‘Oh, I will.’

  ‘I’m really sorry. See you,’ Yukiho said, taking off for the door.

  Makoto watched her go, holding back the anger he could feel rising in his stomach. He knew that if he let it grow it was he who would suffer. He’d already had the pleasure several times.

  He passed the time by checking out the golf shop in a corner of the lobby. Looking at the items there didn’t do anything to increase his interest in the sport. Makoto hardly knew anything about golf. He had a general grasp of the rules and understood that the goal for most golfers was to get under a hundred on the course. Yet he had no concept of what that really meant or how big a score that one hundred represented.

  He was checking out a set of driving irons when he felt someone’s eyes on him. A woman was standing next to him in business slacks, facing in his direction.

  He looked up and their eyes met.

  It took a little while for him to be sure that it really was her before he finally gasped.

  He was staring at Chizuru Misawa. She had cut her hair and looked a little different, but there was no mistaking her.

  ‘Chizuru? What are you doing here?’ Makoto asked.

  ‘Practising golf,’ Chizuru said, showing him the club case in her hand.

  ‘Right, I mean, obviously,’ Makoto said, scratching his cheek, even though it didn’t itch.

  ‘That’s why you’re here, isn’t it, Mr Takamiya?’ she asked.

  ‘Yeah, kind of, I guess.’ He was happy that she had remembered his name.

  ‘You here alone?’

  ‘Yes, you?’

  ‘Yeah. Should we sit down?’

  They managed to find two empty seats and grabbed them before anyone else came.

  ‘What a surprise, meeting you here,’ Makoto began.

  ‘No kidding. For second I thought it was a case of mistaken identity.’

  ‘Where are you these days?’

  ‘Shimokitazawa. I’m working for an architectural firm in Shinjuku.’

  ‘Still doing the temp thing?’

  ‘Yeah.’

  ‘Didn’t you say you were heading back to Sapporo when your contract with our company ended?’

  ‘I’m surprised you remember,’ Chizuru said, smiling, showing white, healthy teeth. Her smile made Makoto think that short hair suited her well.

  ‘So you didn’t go?’

  ‘No, I did, for a little. But I came right back.’

  ‘I see,’ Makoto said, looking at his watch. It was already four-fifty. The information session would start in ten minutes. He began to feel rushed.

  That day resurfaced in his mind, two years and however many months ago. The night before his wedding to Yukiho, when he had sat there in the lobby waiting for her to show, and she never did.

  He had been in love with her, he realised now, ready to give up everything to tell her. In that instant he had truly felt that she was the one he was destined for.

  And she never came. He didn’t know why. All he knew was that fate had lied. There was nothing fated about it.

  But seeing her now, he realised the torch he carried for her had not been entirely extinguished. Just being near her made his heart soar. He felt elated, a sweet elation that he hadn’t felt in so long.

  ‘Where do you live these days, Mr Takamiya?’ Chizuru asked.

  ‘In Seijo.’

  ‘Right, I think I remember you mentioning that before,’ she said. ‘It’s been two and a half years now, hasn’t it. Any kids?’

  ‘No, not yet.’

  ‘Not having them?’

  ‘Not, or can’t.’ Makoto smiled wryly.

  ‘Oh, I see,’ Chizuru said, a look of concern passing over her face.

  ‘How about you? Are you married?’

  ‘No, still single.’

  ‘Any plans?’ Makoto said, watching her face intently.

  Chizuru smiled and shook her head. ‘Nobody to make plans with.’

  Makoto felt relief at that, even as he had to ask himself what it mattered to him whether she was single or not.

  ‘Do you come here lots?’ he asked.

  ‘Once a week. I’ve been taking lessons.’

  She said she’d been coming for the last two months. She was taking beginner lessons every week on Saturdays at five. The exact same class that Makoto and Yukiho were considering.

  Makoto said that he had just come to hear the information session about the same course.

  ‘No kidding?’ she said. ‘I know that they look for new people every two months or so. So maybe I’ll be seeing more of you.’

  ‘I would imagine so,’ Makoto said.

  Makoto was confused about this coincidence. Mostly because when he came, he would be coming with Yukiho. He didn’t want her to meet Chizuru. Nor did he want to tell Chizuru that she was coming either.

  Just then they announced that everyone who had come for the information session should go to the reception desk.

  ‘I guess I should get to my lesson,’ Chizuru said, picking up her golf bag.

  ‘I’ll come see how you’re doing afterwards.’

  ‘Oh no, don’t, I’d be too embarrassed,’ she said smiling, the skin above her nose wrinkling.

  When Makoto got home, Yukiho’s shoes were in the entranceway. He heard the sound of something frying from inside.

  He went into the living room and found Yukiho in the kitchen, apron on, making dinner.

  ‘Welcome back. You’re later than I expected,’ she said loudly, moving the frying pan as she spoke.

  It was already after eight-thirty.

  ‘What time did you get back?’ Makoto asked, standing in the entrance to the kitchen.

  ‘About an hour ago. I came home early to make dinner.’

  ‘OK.’

  ‘Hang on, it’s almost ready.’

  ‘It’s funny,’ he said, watching Yukiho in profile as she
made her salad. ‘I met an old friend today.’

  ‘Really? Someone I know?’

  ‘I don’t think so.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘Well, it’d been a while, so we decided to go have a little something to eat, and we ate at a restaurant by the golf place.’

  Yukiho’s hands stopped. She brought her hand up to her neck. ‘Oh.’

  ‘I figured you’d be late. What was the trouble at the shop?’

  ‘Actually, I straightened that out pretty quick,’ Yukiho said, rubbing the back of her neck. She smiled weakly. ‘But of course you didn’t expect me back. Why would you?’

  ‘Sorry. I should’ve tried to get in touch.’

  ‘Don’t worry about it. I’ll finish it up, so if you get hungry, go ahead.’

  ‘Thanks.’

  ‘So how was it?’

  Makoto grunted non-committally. ‘It wasn’t anything special. They said they have a particular curriculum, and they follow it to the letter, stuff like that.’

  ‘Did it sound like fun?’

  ‘Kind of,’ Makoto said. He wasn’t sure how to explain it. Now that he knew Chizuru was going to the golf school, he didn’t want to take Yukiho there. He was ready to give up on it, but he wasn’t sure how to explain that to Yukiho.

  ‘I don’t know…’ he said, searching for the right words, when Yukiho cut him off.

  ‘I know I suggested it, and I might sound silly saying this now, but maybe this isn’t the best time.’

  ‘What?’ Makoto said looking at her face. ‘Isn’t the best time for what?’

  ‘Well, we’re opening that second shop, right? And we’re looking for a new employee, but it’s hard to find the right people – with all the big companies practically tripping over themselves to get good people, hardly anyone’s interested in a little boutique like ours.’

  ‘And?’

  ‘Well, I talked it over with Naomi today, and it sounds like there’s no getting around my coming in on Saturdays, at least for the time being. Hopefully it won’t be every week —’

  ‘You mean you’ll only have Sundays off?’

  ‘Something like that,’ Yukiho said, looking up at him. She was clearly afraid he would get angry.

  But he didn’t.

  ‘Doesn’t sound like you’ll be taking golf lessons, then.’

  ‘I’m afraid not. Which is why I’m apologising because the whole thing was my idea in the first place. Sorry,’ she said, bowing her head.

  ‘Right,’ Makoto said, crossing his arms and going over to the sofa. ‘Guess that’s that, then.’ He sat down. ‘Maybe I’ll take lessons by myself.’

  ‘You’re not angry?’ Yukiho said, a little surprised.

  ‘Why should I be? I decided not to get angry about this kind of thing.’

  ‘Phew. I was afraid that you were gonna get angry with me again. It’s just we really don’t have enough people —’

  ‘It’s OK, really. Just don’t come telling me you want to join lessons later on, because you’ll be too late.’

  ‘I wont, I promise.’

  ‘Good.’

  Makoto picked up the television remote and pressed the button, thinking about when he might be able to make a call without Yukiho overhearing…

  Makoto had trouble sleeping that night. When he thought about his unexpected reunion with Chizuru, he felt hot, as if he had a fever. Her smile flashed in his mind; her voice rang in his ears.

  Part of the information session included going to see an actual class in session. Makoto watched Chizuru and the rest of her class hitting the ball with their instructor giving them pointers. From behind. When she noticed he was there, Chizuru seem to stiffen and missed the ball several times. Each time she would turn in his direction and stick out her tongue at him.

  Makoto asked her to dinner at the end of the lesson.

  ‘There’s nothing for me to eat at home, so I was planning on eating out anyway. I’d rather not eat alone,’ he said, making an excuse.

  She hesitated for just a moment before agreeing to go with him with a smile. Makoto didn’t think she was just coming along to be polite.

  Chizuru took the train to get to golf lessons, so Makoto gave her a lift in his BMW to a pasta place he’d been to several times before. He had never taken Yukiho there.

  The lighting was dim and Makoto sat across from Chizuru. Thinking back on it, he realised that they had never gone out together when she was working at his company. Makoto felt relaxed. It felt right, in his gut, to be with her. When he was with her, conversation felt easy. He even felt like he’d become a better talker. She laughed often and talked a lot herself. As she spoke about her experiences at different companies, an idea struck Makoto so strongly it startled him.

  ‘Why did you start golf? To stay fit?’ he asked.

  ‘I don’t know. I guess I wanted to change something. Change myself, maybe.’

  ‘Did you need to change?’

  ‘There was something I felt I wanted to change, yes. I just felt kind of rootless drifting around like I do.’

  Makoto smiled.

  ‘What made you want to start?’ she asked him.

  ‘Me?’ He searched for an answer. He didn’t want to say that his wife had suggested it. ‘I guess because I wasn’t getting enough exercise.’

  Chizuru seemed to accept this.

  When they left the restaurant, Makoto offered to drive her home. She refused, of course, but didn’t seem displeased, so Makoto pressed harder. She accepted.

  He didn’t know whether it was intentional or not, but all through dinner, Chizuru hadn’t asked about Makoto’s married life once. Nor did he talk about Yukiho or say anything that might suggest her presence whatsoever. Only once they got in the car and started driving did Chizuru ask, ‘Was your wife out today?’

  For some reason she seemed a little nervous when she said this.

  ‘She works, so she’s out quite a lot.’

  Chizuru nodded. She didn’t ask anything more about his wife.

  Her apartment building was right along a train line. It was a small place, only three storeys high.

  ‘Thanks so much. See you next week?’ she said as she got out of the car.

  ‘Maybe, though I’m not sure if I’m going to join the lessons yet,’ Makoto said. At the time, he hadn’t intended to at all.